hitchiner



INVENTOR (0W WA AAA/M A, $6. ATTORNEYS.

n e e u 0 .W e 8 e u I %N I ,Jd 0 m T E e M F. m d r .e We t m .1 .n m m 6 m J P a m &.m P R N Ed NM. 1.8 H O .T 2 T 3 H 4 4 2 w S o N H 2 Sheets-$1156. A. HITGHINER & J. W. HBATON."

Sled-Propeller.

No 224,432. Patented Feb. 10, 1880.

// ;VITNES SESi f v INVENTOR:/

2 I BY B. Pmwumosmwuaz, WASHINGTON. a. c.

v f UNITED" STATES ALFRED nir'oniunnnun JOHN W. HEATON, oF LAWRENCE, MASS.

PATENT OFFICE. J

' SLED-PRQVPELLER.

SPECIFICATION forming a e of Letters Patent No. 224,432, dated February 10, 1880.

v Application filed December 5, 1879.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, ALFRED HITGHINER and JOHN WILLIAM HEATON,i' Lawrence, in the county of Essex and State of Massa chusetts, have invented a new and Improved Sled, of which the following is a specification.

The object of our invention is to provide a new and improved sled, which is so arranged that it can be propelled and regulated in speed and direction by the person seated on the same.

The invention consists in a sled provided with a standard to which two slotted bars having hooks at the lower ends. are pivoted, these bars being grasped by the person on the sled, and used to propel the same and to press against the brakes, which are pivoted to the .end of each side of the sled.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view of our improved sled. .Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same. Fig. 3 is a vertical cross-sectional elevation on the line a; 00, Figs. 1 and 2. elevation of the seat on the line y y, Figs. 1 and 3.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

A represents the body of a sled, resting on the runners B B at the rear end, and on the rudder or shoe 0, pivoted in the floor of the sled by means of the pivot-pin D, at the for- Ward end. The upper end of the pivot-pin D is provided with a cross-bar, E, having a shoe, F, for receiving the feet of the person on the sled at each end, so that the person can push or pull with the feet.

The rudder O is protected from being damaged by stones, &c., by a-rectangular protecting spring-bar, 0, attached to the forward end of the sled, as is shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

A frame, G, formed of the two curved vertical standards G G connected by a metal band, 9, and a filling-piece, g, is arranged near the middle of the sled, and is provided with a pin, I, the ends of which are bent rectangularly. A bar, J, provided with a longitudinal slot, K, at the upper end and a pivoted hook, L, at the lower end, is pivoted on each end of the pin I. Thehook L is pivoted in such a manner that the forward point, I, always catches in the icy surface when thebar J rests in this surface, as is shown in Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal sectional A brake, M, provided with a point, N, at

the lower end and a rectangular projection,

O, at the upper end, is pivoted to each side of the sled, near the rearend, and is held above the icy'surface by a spring, P. A seat, Q, rests on two or more rails, R R, which fit into grooves S Son the under side of the seat, thus'permitting the seat to slide forward and backward. f The under side of the seat is pro-v vided with a perforated plate, T, which engages with a rectangularly-bent rod or wire,

U, pivoted to the frame of the sled below the seat. By means of this perforated plate T and the wire U the seat can be locked at any desired distance from the end of the sled.

The frame G maybe replaced by a single standard, to which the propeller-bars are also pivoted'independent of each other.

A cross-frame formed of the beams V and V is provided in the rear of the sled, and carries the seat Q.

The operation is as follows: The person sits on the seat Q and places his feet into the shoes F F. He grasps the propeller-bars J J,

raises them above the icy surface a few inches,,

pushes them as far forward as possible, and thrusts them downward with sufficient force to cause the points l to take in the icy surface.

By pulling the bars J J toward the body the sled is propelled forward and the above operation is repeated.

In order to increase the reach the seat Q may be unlocked, so that it will slide back and forward with the person; but if that is not desired it may be locked in any suitable position, according to the size of the person,

so that the same can keep his feet in the shoes F F conveniently.

To steer the sled the cross-bar E is turned 'in one or the other direction by the feet of the person, and the steering may be facilitated by operating with only one propeller-bar, according 'to the direction desired. The speed of the sled can be slackened by pressing the propeller-bars against the projections O O of the brake-bars M M. This will overcome the power of the springs P P, and will force the points N of the brake-bars M against the icy surface, and thus impede the progress of the sled. As soon as the propeller-bars are drawn away from the projections O O the springs P P will draw the ends N N of the brakes upward again. This manner of braking is simple and convenient, and permits the person to control the steering, braking, and propelling apparatus at the same time with the greatest case.

In case the grade is very steep the propeller-bars J J are unhooked from the pin I and are used to push the sled forward, as is shown in Fig. 4. D

The above-described propelling, steering, and braking apparatus or the adjustable and sliding seat may be arranged in any kind of sled.

Having thus described our invention, we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. The combination, with the standards G G, having end-bent pin I, and connected by band 9 and filling g, of the bar J, having slot K and pivoted hook L, as shown and described.

2. The combination of the propeller-bar J with the pivoted hook L, substantially as 6. The combination of the rudder O with the spring-protecting bar 0, substantially as herein shown and described, and for the purpose set forth.

ALFRED HITOHINER. JOHN WILLIAM HEATON.

Witnesses CHARLES BOOTH, HIRAM HAYNES. 

